PROSPECTS FAVOURABLE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 74, 20 December 1919, Page 12

PROSPECTS FAVOURABLE

FARMING IN. THE MANAWATU. (Spccial Palmerston North, December 13. Prospects throughout the lUanawatu so far as farming- is concerned 'have undergone ft most favourable change during the past week. Oil Saturday last heavy showers were almost general on the western side of the range, and they have been followed by a week of exceptionally warm weather with an absence of wind. This lias had tlio effect of bringing on a good Hush of grass, and tlio crops generally show a marked improvement. Tho heavy lands around the Kairanga and Kongo tea districts, ns well as thoso in tho Whakaronga 'aifil Ash hurst districts, arc now producing plenty of feed, while many of the paddocks shut up for hay are giving promise of heavy .yields. In many oases the rape is looking well, and tho conditions have been most beneficial to all leguminous '.rops. The white crops in the Marfan district show a considerable improvement, and between there and Hunterville there are eomo extremely fine even crops of l»th wheat and oats, w'hich should produce moro than average yields, while on the whole the rape fields are looking very healthy, the leaves being rich in colour. Throughout the whole of t'lie M.anawatu, however, quite a number of fields of potatoes show signs of having been badly hit by the late frosts, and appearances would iead to the belief that there will bo a shortage of these useful tubers during tho coming season. It is marvellous the manner in which stock of all kinds have picked in such a short time, and if only showers are alternated with warm weather during the next few weeks, many lines of forward stoves—both sheep and cattle—will be ready for tho freezing market. During the past few weeks tlio markets liavo been more or less lifeless, only the best stores and good young dairy eows meeting: with ;iny di'iiiiimi on account of the scarcity of feed, but tho altered prospects are putting moro lifo into tho sales, which should soon recover their lost buoyancy if present weather conditions continue. _ Matters on tho cast coast do not show !!iie samo signs of improvement, and both cattle and sheep, most of them in low condition, are being sent over the range in large number's in order to get a market. Strikes of rape have been poor, and the most of tho oat crops seen nave a stunted appearance, while hay is very starec. Jietween Pnlriierslon North and Long--burn, on the heavy lauds, some very fme crops of hay are noticeable, while feed is now abundant, and the stock are looking particularly well. In this district, and further south, the potatoes appear to havo\ escaped the frost, and most of tho crops are looking well, while there are some very even fields of oats, which are well forward. Uetwcn Longbiint and Shannon, a fair amount of land has been turned over, but tho strikes of rape are rafher poor. Coming through the old swamp district, the flax is looking veiy yellow, as though tlio loaf had been attacked by somo parasite, and although grass is fairly plentiful on tho old bush-cleared lands, it is thickly interspersed with wild turnip. The hills at the back of Shannon and Levin are now looking nioo and green. Somo of the down lands between Shannon and Levin arc showing plenty of feed, and there are somo very fair crops of both rape and oats, whiio hay should bo plentiful, and somo of tho ptldoeks aro so forward that haymaking has already been, commenced. Coming down towards Otnki, there is a brown tinge in the grass, and it 'has not tho healthy and luscious lcok of that further up the line. Between there and Wellington, a fair amount of land has been turned over evidently for rape, but as it was sown late it is not possible to say whether it will bo a success or not. Tata altogether, the prospects on tho west ooast of t'he Wellington province Ivavo improved to such an extent as to justify the liopo that a season which opened badly may yet prove one of the most successful yet experienced. Judging by the largo number of trains with frozen meat which are coming down tho line, it would appear that t'lie cold stores are getting away a fair amount of meat, and that tliero will yet be room for tho bulk of this season's output.